WordWeb Online

1. Dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
   "the earth was scorched and bare";
   - adust [archaic], baked, parched, sunbaked
    
2. Having everything destroyed so nothing is left salvageable by an enemy
   "Sherman's scorched earth policy"

1. Subject to harsh criticism
   "your invectives scorched the community";
   - blister, scald, whip [informal]
    
2. Make very hot and dry
   "The heat scorched the countryside";
   - sear
    
3. Become superficially burned
   "my eyebrows scorched when I bent over the flames";
   - sear, singe
    
4. Destroy completely by or as if by fire
   "The wildfire scorched the forest and several homes"; "the invaders scorched the land"
    
5. (cooking) burn slightly and superficially so as to affect colour
   "the flames scorched the ceiling";
   - char, blacken, sear
    
6. Become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions
   "The exposed tree scorched in the hot sun"

See also: destroyed, dry

Type of: assail, assault, attack, burn, burn down, combust, dry, dry out, fire, heat, heat up, lash out, round, snipe

Encyclopedia: Scorched